Yep, even before I knew about HF (and some strong opinions, LOL), I got some inflatables off of Craigslist. Ever since I've been a junkie & cannot seem to control myself (eeek!). Try to get most of them at a discount/used price, but I'm already chomping at the bit wanting Lowe's to hurry up & stock the new Fire & Ice Dragon to go with the one I got last year.
Ooh, closeup of the skull! Don't blow my cover on certain other pickin' on certain somebody threads , but I really like that skull. The dead-family hearse is a good one too.
Hey, be true to yourself, I say!
Inflatables have never been my thing but I know if they'd been popular when my kids were little, we would have had at least one. Face it, whatever adults feel about them, kids LOVE 'em!
Wave your inflatable flag proud!
Rock on HallowweenKat!! Your display is wonderful!
I'm not a junkie. I'm more of a recreational user. But proud of it!
Little kids love them. They are fun and fantastic.
No one type of decor could or should 'own' the Halloween Spirit!!
I'll fly my freak flag with you. Here's some of mine.
Rock on HallowweenKat!! Your display is wonderful!
I'm not a junkie. I'm more of a recreational user. But proud of it!
Little kids love them. They are fun and fantastic.
No one type of decor could or should 'own' the Halloween Spirit!!
I'll fly my freak flag with you. Here's some of mine.
Hilda, I can only imagine what your yard would look like if you were a junkie!!! I love the pics from both you and HallowweenKat.
I usually put up one or two Halloween inflatables in my yard display each year, but none as cool as some of yours. I get scolded for killing the grass if I try to set up more inflatables! Now you all are making me want to run out and buy another inflatable (like the fire and ice or projection ones).
Thanks Madjoodie!! I have more too. haha I will admit to having favorites.
I ran out of room and had to stop buying a few years ago. Some of the new ones with the color changing and such are pretty neat!
RCIAG. I honestly have no idea. I am totally out of the loop on inflatables and blowmolds the past year. I've been working on creepy interior stuff.
I purchased this one at Walgreens. If that helps. Good luck on your hunt!
I see him on the Walgreens site but there's none available. I'll keep checking this year but I have a feeling that, with my luck, he won't be made anymore.
OMG....I see an Inflatable Only Forum (IOF) spin off taking members from both the Halloween and the Christmas forums. Will the non-inflatable owners (a little white lie for many of us) be able to be members? Sharing fabric patterns, combining 2 inflatables into a custom inflatable, custom inflatables to cover a whole house, etc.....
But until that site opens I have some questions, as I found the post of NOT using a cleaner, important info!
What is the life of (number of days outside) of the average inflatable. One of the Christmas Extremes, the family had a couple of acres of inflatables and they spoke about re-sewing the seems? I would assume as long as stored dry (to prevent mold), storage can be attic, basement, garage or shed, unlike some of the latex props. Do you keep inflated 24/7 or allow to deflate over night...which is one of my anit-inflatables (Christmas or Halloween) when they are laying on the ground.
OMG....I see an Inflatable Only Forum (IOF) spin off taking members from both the Halloween and the Christmas forums. Will the non-inflatable owners (a little white lie for many of us) be able to be members? Sharing fabric patterns, combining 2 inflatables into a custom inflatable, custom inflatables to cover a whole house, etc..... .
There were several inflatables forums years ago. I belonged to two of them. One was sponsored by Gemmy. It was a great resource. Unfortunately, I guess it just was not worth the cost of upkeep for the forum owners. They both closed.
I do enjoy inflatables displays. I found it a very lovely online community too.
One of my favorite inflatables displays is Twisted Vegas. Lee and Laura Yarbrough are really nice people and do a nice job for charity in their community. http://www.twistedvegas.com/h2014.php
Here's a question for all you users of inflatables: Is it bad to leave them inflated all the time or do you have to shut them down for a certain number hours a day? I ask because it seems everyone around here that uses them only inflate them at night so in the daytime if you drive by they're just lying dead and flattened all over the lawn. Not a good look, especially the house that has 15-20 on their lawn for each holiday. What's your solution?
Confession: I have had a 4-ft inflatable on my roof for years riding in his sleigh. I plug him in the day after Thanksgiving and only turn him off if the wind or snow has dislodged him from his perch.
Confession: I have had a 4-ft inflatable on my roof for years riding in his sleigh. I plug him in the day after Thanksgiving and only turn him off if the wind or snow has dislodged him from his perch.
I don't leave mine plugged in all the time, just early morning & during the evening. It does look tacky with them laying flat during the day but most of the people stopping by come in the evening. If you don't want the grass to yellow, remove them during the daytime or not set them up until a couple weeks beforehand. Plus if you have other decorations set up around the inflatables, it gives people something else to look at while they are unplugged. Yes, they need to be dry before packing away & I don't run them during rain. If you have a yard without much grass, high winds all the time, or get lots of rain I can see where they would be kind of bad to set up. Never have noticed that much of a difference in the electric bill, but then after paying for A/C for 3 months of temperatures in the 90s to over 100, it isn't so bad. They will get dirty even if you are careful. The biggest trouble I've found is if the fans aren't strong enough to fill them up if they are older. Seams are easy to repair with thread & needle. I also stay away from any of them that are over 9 feet tall & skinny.
You all have some fabulous inflatables! I guess I am an inflatable junkie too.
I think they have their place in every haunt. Just an idea...we had several air walkers made. (inflatable costumes where you look just like an inflatable) mixed them in with the regular ones and they will produce quite a scare when they follow a person.
Saki.Girl --- That dragon is huge! Glad you are happy with it. I wish I had bought the smaller one to go with my larger like yours, but maybe Gemmy will come out with another smaller version.
Hilda --- Good to know I need to keep the falling leaves cleaned up otherwise they'll stain my inflatables. I usually don't have that problem, but will have the leaf blower handy just in case.
Unless you can find one at a garage sale or on Craigslist, the only option I know about would be eBay (& top dollar price most of the time). Keep in mind if the inflatable has had a lot of use, the extra large haunted houses/castles may need an additional fan added or use PVC pipe cut to size to support the corners from the inside. Fairly windy where I am & having the PVC pipe added much needed stability. It is also best if you've got another person or two to help you set it up as it is was difficult to do by myself. Good luck finding the one you want.
Our spider has been around years and years .. He hangs out on the cottage roof. His head rotates back and fourth and his eyes glow at night. Everyone loves him .. He looks like he's stalking unsuspecting joggers to hop on for a quick meal.
This year these guys are going on the big house .. Click on pic for video.
I recently bought an entire collection of Halloween inflatables. The kids love them and really they are a fantastic addition to a "non scary" Halloween display. I think my favorite has to be this M&M store display promotional inflatable that was not sold to the public. I will clean him up a bit this week and he will take his stage for the year